ALBUQUERQUE - Sen. Joseph Cervantes, a southern New Mexico Democrat in the state’s swing region, is jumping into the race for governor.

The architect and Las Cruces attorney formally entered the race Wednesday to seek the Democratic nomination for governor in a direct challenge to Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham and other Democrats wanting to succeed Republican Gov. Susana Martinez.

“We need to support small businesses more,” the Las Cruces Democrat said. “We also have a lot of children living in poverty. That keeps me up at night.”

Cervantes said he supports using the permanent land fund to expand pre-K to all students in the state and believes New Mexico “should look at” legalizing recreational marijuana. “The infrastructure is not there for legalization yet,” said Cervantes, who has sponsored legislation to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana. “But it is something the state should look into.”

Cervantes said he is different from his Democratic opponents because he’s a small business owner and as a teen, worked on a farm.

Cervantes earned a graduate architecture degree from California Polytechnic in 1985 and a law degree from the University of New Mexico in 1991. He served on the Dona Ana County Commission from 1999 to 2001 and in the New Mexico House of Representative from 2001 to 2012.

He won his senate seat in 2012, replacing the retiring Sen. Cynthia Nava.

In this Jan. 17, 2017 file photo State Sen. Joseph Cervantes, center, joined by his senate Democratic members from left, Liz Stefanics, Mimi Stewart and Mary Kay Papen gives a response to New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez's State of the State address in Santa Fe, N.M. Cervantes a southern New Mexico Democratic senator in the state's swing region, is jumping into the race for governor. Cervantes, an architect and Las Cruces attorney, told The Associated Press he will announced Wednesday, July 5 that he will seek the Democratic nomination for governor in a direct challenge to Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is among the candidates wanting to succeed Republican Gov. Susana Martinez.(Photo: Craig Fritz/AP)